Amazingly big night for me as a sports fan yesterday. Don't know that there has ever been a night in which the Clippers and Sabres both won playoff games - each in the second round no less. On top of that, the Yankees scored a comeback win at home against Curt Schilling and the Bosox.
The Yankees' win although regular season, was as big as the other ones, because they had lost to the Red Sox twice in two tries already this year. The Yanks were down 3-1 and I told my son to go turn the front light on - it was getting dark and the Yankees flag was out - and their fortunes turned. The biggest hit of the night was A-Rod's tie-breaking solo homer. A-Rod has been just having an awful year, hitting like .250 and he made two errors - one very key - in the 14-3 rout by the Sox the night before. This, of course, follows on the heels of his terrible playoff performance last year. But I think things are going to start turning around for him. He has it rock bottom, done some searching, and perhaps discovered a game that will carry the Yankees through the playoffs this time around.
I remember Barry Bonds always used to struggle in the playoffs with Pittsburgh, but right before he left, he got a couple big hits and that carried through to some really impressive clutch performances with the Giants. A-Rod is kind of like Bonds.
I give Torre credit for enabling A-Rod the space to work out his game and re-adjust to a Yankee style of play - meaning teamwork and winning is placed above individual glory. Torre's style was evidenced in his playing Melkey Cabrera again last night a day after the recent call up (to replace the injured Sheffield), dropped a fly ball in right field. Torry never panics. He knows full well it is a 162-game season and plays it that way. Players respect that and feel comfortable playing for a guy like that. That's why A-Rod will take a chance, try, and work through new things that will eventually help out the Yankees - I hope. We are paying enough after cal.
Cheers.
Ralph
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2 comments:
I was excited, at first, about your entry. I was hoping to learn more about the Sabres and/or Clippers, both long-time underdogs.
Then you went into Yankee-talk. Ugh. That's like rooting for pampered lions in pinstripes to devour poor and devout Christians.
What can I say, Ralph, I'm an old East-Sider. I always root for the underdog.
Are the Pirates winning any games these days? I used to have hope in them once.
DDDDDDD
Yes, the Yankees are a bit of a boor, but it's Major League Baseball after all, which in MHOB is far superior to either the NBA or the NHL - even if your teams are winning in those leagues. Of course, if you root for a AAA team like the Buccos, I can see why you what not be interested in that league. Incidentally, from 1950 through 1957, the Pirates had an eight-year stretch of having either the worst record or the second worst record in the National League, while the Yankees one five World Series, seven pennants, and finished second once. I don't know what this really says except that MLB has not really changed as much as people say it has. Of course, the Pirates did rebound out of that period fairly strongly and beat the Yanks on Maz's miraculous home run in 1961. I wish I could say I saw the same thing coming this time around - but, well the Marlins won the Series a couple years ago...
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